Attack the Block (2011)

A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.

Director:

Joe Cornish

Writer:

Joe Cornish

Stars:

John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 19 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jodie Whittaker	...	Sam
John Boyega	...	Moses
Alex Esmail	...	Pest
Leeon Jones	...	Jerome
Franz Drameh	...	Dennis
Simon Howard	...	Biggz
Maggie McCarthy	...	Margaret
Danielle Vitalis	...	Tia
Paige Meade	...	Dimples
Gina Antwi	...	Dionne
Natasha Jonas	...	Gloria
Sammy Williams	...	Probs
Michael Ajao	...	Mayhem
Luke Treadaway	...	Brewis
Flaminia Cinque	...	Italian Woman

Storyline

Attack the Block follows an unlucky young woman and a gang of tough inner city kids who make an unlikely alliance to try to defend their turf against an invasion of savage alien creatures, turning a South London apartment complex into an intergalactic war-zone.

---

Plot Keywords:

pheromones | tower block | teeth | glowing | gang | 

---

Taglines:

Inner City vs. Outer Space

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for creature violence, drug content and pervasive language

Did You Know?

Trivia

When doing research for the film, Joe Cornish asked one of the girls, "What would you think of this creature if you found it?" The girl said, "I wouldn't touch it, don't want to get chlamydia." That quote went straight into script; many lines were taken directly from research.

---

Goofs

Pest appears to have a magical backpack. As the gang pulls out and uses all of his fireworks, more magically appear a minute afterwards.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Sam: [on phone] Hi mum!

---

Connections

References Naruto (2002)

---

Soundtracks

Sound of Da Police
Written by Alan Lomax, Eric Burdon, Bryan Chandler, Lawrence Parker, Erick Sermon, and Showbiz (as Rodney Lemay)
Performed by KRS-One
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Great fun

Attack the Block is one of those films that does exactly what it says on the tin - its a bunch of aliens attacking a bunch of roadmen in London. If this premise doesn't appeal to you, steer clear as the film isn't anymore complex or deep than that. I for one loved the premise. It was simple, effective, and entertaining!

The film has a great pace, with no messing about. Joe Cornish knew exactly what he wanted to do and got straight down to it. There was lots of good action, some great suspenseful scenes, and some neat chase scenes. At under an hour and a half long, Attack the Block never felt like it was dragging. It was zippy, fresh, and engaging.

I wasn't massively in love with any of the characters. They were pretty cliched at times, and didn't really get much development. They just were who they were. I must say though Joe Cornish captured the generation perfectly. All the language and behaviour felt very real and authentic. The acting was decent as well, with Jodie Whittaker as the standout for me.

My absolute favourite part of the film though was the design of the aliens. They felt so fresh and unique, and just looked very cool whenever on screen. The effects haven't aged at all in 10 years.

Attack the Block is a perfect film to sit back, switch off the brain, grab the popcorn and be thoroughly entertained.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Attack the Block

Filming Locations:

Three Mills Studios, Three Mill Lane, Bow, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$139,506, 31 July 2011

Gross USA:

$1,024,175

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,206,022

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, StudioCanal, Film4

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (DTS Digital Surround) SDDS (uncredited) Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1